'It's an honor to present'

Sunday

Feb 12, 2017 at 2:01 AM

Elizabeth Dinan edinan@seacoastonline.com @DinanElizabeth

PORTSMOUTH — Honor guards for Seacoast police and fire departments have appeared at major league sporting events to present colors, meaning they appear in dress uniforms, bearing arms and the U.S. flag.

Whether they're paid for those appearances or not, depends on which department they work for and, in one instance, their rank.

The Portsmouth Fire Department Honor Guard presented colors at Gillette Stadium for the Jan. 22 AFC Championship game when the Patriots beat the Pittsburgh Steelers. Fire Commissioner "Dickie" Gamester said the four firefighters who went received "no money, no overtime and if they were hurt, there would be no worker's comp."

Gamester said they sought permission to attend the game as volunteer representatives of the Fire Department and "went on their own."

"The only thing they got was the use of a Fire Department (vehicle) to carry their gear and uniforms," Gamester said. "They were not working that day, so if they got to see the game, good for them."

Gamester said the Fire Department's Honor Guard has been a long tradition that has the support of the Fire Commission. But, he said, if firefighters are working they cannot accept gifts and, he believes, free seats for professional sporting events are gifts.

Gamester called the Patriots game a "social event" and said the department does not pay for that. If the honor guard is marching in a parade or presenting at a funeral, he said, the firefighters are paid.

The Portsmouth Police Department Honor Guard represented the state of New Hampshire at the New England Patriots’ divisional playoff game against the Houston Texans on Jan. 14. Over the years, the Portsmouth Police Honor Guard has presented at games for every major Boston sports team, according to the team's archives.

Police officials said Honor Guard members are not paid overtime for their appearances at sporting events, but are compensated with comp time off. Members are compensated for the time travelling to and from the games and while conducting the event, but not for time spent watching games, if they choose to stay, police said. Further, the earned comp time cannot be taken at a time that would create overtime payment to someone else to cover a vacant shift, police said.

The Portsmouth Police Honor Guard uses a city vehicle to travel to and from the sporting events, the department reported. While in uniform and/or a city vehicle, while earning comp time, the officers are indemnified by city insurance coverage.

The Rochester Police Department Honor Guard presented colors at a Boston Celtics game Feb. 3, a Boston Bruins game Dec. 8, 2016, and a Boston Red Sox game Aug. 29, 2016. Honor Guard member Capt. Todd Pinkham said whether members of the team are compensated for attending the sporting events depends on different circumstances.

For one, he explained, ranking Rochester Police Department officers, like himself, are salaried so they never get overtime or comp time off. He said some officers volunteer for Honor Guard events, sometimes others go while "on shift" and others get comp time off.

Pinkham said when the Honor Guard presented at the Feb. 3 Celtics game, for example, he and a salaried lieutenant were not paid, while two non-ranking officers earned comp time off. That comp time, he said, was for an amount of time equal to the "appearance only" and "not the game time."

Further, he added, "We pay to go."

"We buy all the tickets and pay for parking," Pinkham said about the Celtics, Bruins and Red Sox games the Rochester Police Honor Guard has attended to present colors.

Pinkham said he's a member of the Honor Guard because it "makes the department look good" and, "I take a certain amount of pride" from representing the department. He said the guard sometimes uses a city vehicle to represent the department at sporting events and other times members' families go too, so they travel in their own family cars.

"We'll get together and train on our own," he said. Asked why, Pinkham said, "The word honor is in there."

He said that unlike the Portsmouth Fire Department Honor Guard, the Rochester Police Honor Guard is covered by the city's workers compensation policy when they travel to perform at sporting events. He said that policy was established because the Honor Guard members are "wearing the Rochester badge and uniform" and "acting in the role of the agency."

Members of the Hampton Police Department Honor Guard never seek payment for presenting colors at professional sporting events, said Honor Guard member and police Sgt. Alex Reno. Hampton's Honor Guard presented prior to a Boston Bruins game Thursday night, which Reno called, "an honor."

"Obviously, it's exciting to present colors at a professional sports game," he said. "It's a cool reward to go down and do something like that."

Reno said the Honor Guard represents the Hampton Police Department and serves as a recruitment tool.

He said some sports organizations provide Honor Guard members with tickets and parking for appearing before the game, but Hampton's Honor Guard received neither on Thursday night.

He said if the Honor Guard is asked to appear for a town parade or event, members may put in to be paid under those circumstances. If the Honor Guard attends a funeral for a fallen police officer, he said, his fellow members view it as a tribute to "our brothers and sisters" and don't accept payment, "as a matter of practice and principal."

"Generally, we don't look for compensation," Reno said. "More often than not, we're not getting free tickets and we're not getting paid to do it."

The reason, Reno said about the 9-member Honor Guard from the Hampton Police Department, "It's an honor to present."

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